


Carpe Diem

by littledust



Category: Naruto
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-01-15
Updated: 2006-01-15
Packaged: 2017-10-17 21:49:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,176
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/181507
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/littledust/pseuds/littledust
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lee makes it his mission to cheer up Sakura.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Carpe Diem

**Author's Note:**

> For [](http://ew-younerd.livejournal.com/profile)[**ew_younerd**](http://ew-younerd.livejournal.com/)! This fic is made of cute, beware. (Well, it was all Lee's fault, really.)

It wasn't that he didn't like other times of day, but there was something about mornings. Perhaps it was the easy rhythm of toothbrush on teeth, or the hiss of the shower. Lee considered the niceties of routine as he dressed and strapped on his training weights, then beamed at his reflection. Of course, the other good thing about mornings was the sense of possibility. Today was yet another opportunity to serve Konoha, to make Gai-sensei proud, to do anything! Today's mission would be difficult to accomplish, but he had heart and strength and hard work on his side!

Still, his hand shook a little as he knocked on the door to Sakura's house.

Her mother looked a bit disgruntled as she answered the door, coffee mug in hand, but the irritation faded when she saw Lee standing there, doing his best to present an I Am Trustworthy And Will Guard Your Beautiful Daughter With My Life expression. Mothers tended to like him, for some reason, even at seven in the morning. (Lee had never quite understood the concept of sleeping in, and had already been up for an hour and a half.)

"Hang on, I'll go wake her up," she said, and Lee almost fell over in shock. He hadn't even told her what he was here for! Truly Sakura-san's mother was as extraordinary as her daughter! "SAKURAAAAAA!" And what tremendous lung power!

It was some moments before a veritable vision of loveliness descended down the stair, rubbing at her eyes and muttering what _sounded_ like uncomplimentary things but couldn't possibly be under her breath. Sakura-san did not exactly light up in happiness at the sight of him; rather, she scowled and demanded, "What are _you_ doing here?"

Ah, Sakura-san. Always so direct.

"I came to cheer you up," he announced, beaming.

The angel of his dreams snorted, but seemed slightly mollified at the explanation. "Couldn't you have cheered me up at, like, _ten_ in the morning? Some of us like our sleep. And who says I need cheering up, anyway? You're making things up."

Lee hesitated for a moment, and then answered, "I merely think that the village of Konoha has been denied your beauty for far too long!" Turning to Sakura's mother, he bowed and added, "I will guard Sakura-san with my life!"

"Have fun, you two," was all her mother replied, and so the day had begun!

  
* * * * *

  
"Lee, I thought we were going to have _fun!_ "

"Sakura-san, I promised that I would run fifty times around Konoha if you agreed to come out with me today!"

"...and if I didn't?"

"One hundred and fifty times!"

"You're crazy, you know that?" But in spite of herself, Sakura was laughing, bright sounds echoing back from the trees around them. There was an inherent perfection to her when she was happy, something in the fluid way she moved, a natural progression like the fall of rain or the setting of the sun. Lee had heard boys his age idolizing only certain parts of attractive girls' bodies, but he couldn't understand that, not at all. Wasn't the whole so much greater than the sum of its parts?

The ground felt good under his feet, solid and very much there. A beautiful day and a beautiful girl... what man could ask for anything more?

"Hey Lee, I'll race you!"

And Sakura-san took off, pink hair streaming behind her in the wind, and Lee had to catch his breath before giving chase, inwardly debating whether it would be proper to beat her and (a few moments later) whether he even _could_ catch her, so fast did she run.

It seemed like he was always chasing after her in some form or another.

  
* * * * *

  
The picnic lunch went well, right up until the point when Lee noticed the ants--and then insisted on feeding the entirety of the colony.

For some reason, Sakura found the entire situation hilarious.

Until Lee asked her to give up her dessert for "the sake of the starving little creatures".

Nevertheless, she seemed to be having a good time.

  
* * * * *

  
Staggering under the weight of what felt like six hundred shopping bags (but was in reality only seven, a light day for Sakura), Lee bravely ventured into yet another store, this one for shoes. When Sakura had innocently suggested they go shopping, he had been ignorant of the fact that, apparently, today was one of the biggest shopping days in Konoha, when all the merchants seemed to congregate on this one spot, when all the stores had restocked with the newest and latest of fashions.

And in a village of ninja, shopping proved very dangerous under these conditions.

"That was MY future set of boots, you bastard!" Sakura shouted at someone's retreating back, shaking her fist and looking sorely tempted to hunt the hapless person down and kill them slowly.

But really, Sakura seemed to be remarkably adept in the art of Shopping no Jutsu, as she affectionately referred to it. Lee had felt his respect for her (and half the population of Konoha) increasing exponentially over the past few hours. Truly, she was a marvel of talent and ingenuity! People went shopping all of the time, and yet previously he had had no idea of what such a feat entailed. What skill! What hazards! What daring actions!

"What a fantastic pair of heels!" Sakura gasped, and then elbowed a fellow shopper in the head, landed a round-house kick on another, and performed a backflip to retrieve the coveted pair of shoes. "I'm so happy that I saved my allowance money for the past month," she crowed, admiring the heels, although Lee could not see anything particularly different or special about them. Shoes were shoes, were they not?

And then he saw them in the far corner, almost glowing with their own holy light.

"Super Mega Ultra You Must Be Crazy To Wear These Special Training Shoes!" he shouted, and ran forward, only to be trampled by hordes of crazed shoppers, who had spotted the coveted item at the same time he had.

"Lee, are you okay?"

"Uuuugghhhh."

Sakura patted him on the head, then helped him to his feet. "Really, you're not doing so badly for a first-timer! And the bruises will heal in time." Just then, she whipped her head around, staring intently at the horizon. "The store next door! There's a sale! Go, go, GO!"

Those who shopped were truly astounding ninja, Lee thought in awe, staring at the chaos all around him.

  
* * * * *

  
There could only be one.

Seconds ticked past. Beads of sweat rolled down faces. Passersby stopped and then stayed, insatiably curious as to who the winner would be.

"C'mon. Bring it."

"Oh, I am. The question is, Sakura-san... do you feel lucky?"

She smirked in response.

"In that case... CHECKMATE!" Lee moved his knight three spaces to the left and up two, knocking over her king and then thrust his arms up in the air in triumph.

Sakura stuck her tongue out at him. "Damn it, Lee! Why are you so good at this?!"

"Hard work and determination! And I would do eighty jumps on a jumprope after Gai-sensei took any of my pieces!"

  
* * * * *

  
The Ichiraku Ramen Stand was surprisingly deserted considering the time of day, but Lee concluded that most ninja would spend their day off eating dinner with their families rather than eating out. In any case, he and Sakura received their ramen in record time and set about happily eating, their adolescent appetites sharpened by the long day.

"Mm," Sakura said at last, leaning back with a satisfied look on her face. She turned to Lee and smiled. "You know what? This is the first good day I can remember having in a long time. Thanks, Lee. You didn't have to do that."

"Of course I did!" Lee beamed, warmed by her words. "You've looked so unhappy lately, Sakura-san. It is only right that I do whatever it takes to make you happy!"

There was a long silence after that, filled with the murmur of the few other patrons and the distant clatter of serving dishes.

"Oh, _Lee,_ " Sakura whispered, and it sounded as though her heart were breaking.

He wanted to ask her what was wrong, but knew the answer already, and instead simply waited her to find the words she needed. She put down her chopsticks and stared down at her empty hands for some time, then opened her mouth as if to speak, then shut it and slammed her fist into the counter, leaving a faint (although unintentional) impression of her knuckles.

"Damn it!" she shouted, and there were angry tears standing in her eyes. "Why can't you just get a clue? Why do you treat me like this? Why can't you find someone that deserves it?! I don't feel that way about you, Lee, I can't because Sasuke-kun--" And she cut herself off by burying her head in her arms and sobbing, the helpless rage of a frustrated child coupled with a grief far too old for her years.

Lee gave her a few moments and then cautiously reached out to stroke her hair, the motion repetitive and soothing, yet not intimate enough to make her uncomfortable. Slowly her crying quieted, although her face remained hidden. "I would do fifty thousand push-ups if I could bring them both back to you, Sakura-san," he said softly. "But not even my hard work can do that, so all I can do is make sure you're not too lonely without your team. I think you deserve that much, at least."

"Oh, _Lee,_ " she said again, and he winced, not enjoying hearing his name spoken with such pain, particularly by her.

He smiled although she couldn't see it, trying to be as reassuring as possible. "There is no greater happiness for me than making those I care about happy, Sakura-san! So you don't have to worry about anything! Just keep up with your training and don't forget to make the most of your days off, too!"

Much to Lee's surprise, she threw her arms around his neck and began to cry, even more stormily than before, on his shoulder. Lee awkwardly put his arms around her in an attempt to do something useful. How could such a wonderful day end so disasterously? And it was all his fault...

"If I were smart, I'd be head over heels for you," Sakura said, voice choked but fierce nonetheless. "If I were smart, I'd go on dates and hold your hand and go training with you and just _not be stupid_ and waste my time on a--a _traitor_ , I'd be with someone who loves me for some crazy reason even though it's _hopeless_ and oh, _Lee_ , why don't you find somebody better? Please?"

He hugged her tightly, closing his eyes and taking in the scent of her hair, the warmth of her being. "Sakura-san, I can't promise anything. I only want to be your friend. I understand that you will feel nothing else for me. I understand--everything. That's why I took you out today." He tried to think of what Gai-sensei would say, but of course Gai-sensei was so wonderful that he would have won the girl single-handedly, so that really didn't help here. All he could do was do what Rock Lee would do.

Which was the right thing, no matter how hard or painful or difficult.

Smiling again, as big and bright as possible, he loosened her hold on him, pushing her away and retrieving a handkerchief so he could dry her face. "Sakura-san, I would be honored if you would allow me to escort you home," he said, tucking the handkerchief away again, and was rewarded by a smile on her face, however wan and faint.

"Sure," she murmured, and they both got up, leaving payment on the counter.

It was a silent walk home; Lee stared up at the stars just beginning to come out and Sakura held herself tightly, as if she might fly to pieces if she let go. They did not quite walk together, with Sakura a few inches ahead and Lee trailing after, always after, though he did not mind. Not really.

At the door, however, the silence shattered as Sakura, with a quick inrush of breath and a "Thank you so much for today, Lee, thank you for everything", enveloped him in a fierce embrace, pressed a quick kiss to his cheek, ran inside, and then shut the door, all in the space of about thirty seconds.

Lee then set off for his own home, absent-mindedly rubbing his cheek and grinning to himself, just a little.

Some would have called the day a failure, all possibility of future romance withered and wasted away. The hero (of today's particular story, at any rate) had failed to get the girl, had been yet another struck down by "Let's just be friends." So yes, some would have called the day, and Lee, a failure.

Lee knew better.

Truly, today had been wonderful!


End file.
